


Being Human

by TheSeaSpider



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Annabeth needs a hug, Blessings, Camp Half-Blood, F/M, Hell, Percy is a bit op, betrayed, bi percy, chaos appears once as a joke but other than that nothing happens, kind of, not a chaos story, olympus, percy needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25557751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSeaSpider/pseuds/TheSeaSpider
Summary: He didn't want to be a half-blood. All he wanted was peace. But, alas, there is no such thing as a happy ending. Or a happy beginning.When Percy is betrayed by the people he thought closest to him, he feels broken. But there's one thing that still holds him together: his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. But what would happen if he lost her? She would follow him to the end of the world, and he would do the same, but what if the fates chose another path of pain and suffering for Percy?
Relationships: Mentioned Will Solace/Nico di Angelo, Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase, minor Jason Grace/Piper Mclean - Relationship, percy/annabeth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. It Happened So Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Third POV

In the beginning, there was nothing.

In the beginning, he was nothing.

But, then came a something.

There's life now. Happiness. 

In the beginning, Percy never understood happiness.

No one did. 

But, he became something.

He understood happiness.

And, just as he was getting used to it, he forgot it.

What was happiness? He felt like he knew nothing. Felt nothing.

Lies.

Lies, lies, lies.

He told himself lies.

He felt something.

Pain.

Betrayal.

Why?

It's a bit hard to explain, you see.

Percy felt betrayed

Because he was betrayed.

What happened?

He didn't exactly know either.

It happened so fast.

Where was he?

Hm? Oh, yes.

He was falling into Hell.

Or Tartarus, as he knew it was called.

Tartarus

Tartarus

Tartarus.

It brought bad memories. 

And he was going to relive them

At least he knew what to do this time....

Stay hidden

Stay safe

Or

You might not make it out alive.

_A few months had passed since Gaea was sent back into her slumber, and for once Percy felt like his life was normal. Well, as normal as a demigod life can get._

_He was spending the day with Annabeth and Nico, and they were having a great time. They had decided to go to the beach that day, and though Nico protested, Percy finally got him to do it after a lot of convincing._

_When they got there, the waters seemed angrier than usual, and Percy guessed that the gods were arguing. The one question that got him though, was_ _**what** _ _they were arguing about. Usually when they argue the waters don't get angry, so it must be something serious. Percy decided to try and ignore it._

_When they got back to Camp, they didn't expect a new arrival. When the got to the campfire, they saw a boy- about 13- with a black symbol above his head. It had a circle with an arrow through it._

_Annabeth gasped. Scratch that, most of the campers gasped. It was the symbol of Phobos, god of fear. Percy took the moment of shock to study the boy. He had dark red hair that hung to his shoulders, and small brown eyes that looked like they could erupt terror at any moment. He had a thin nose an his eyebrows were thin, like slits. He was scrawny, yet well built. He had a '_ I'm tougher than I look' _thing going on._

_Percy walked up to the boy, greeting him. "Hi, I'm Percy, and you are?"_

_"I'm Fred." The boy mumbled, looking around nervously._

_"Welcome to Camp Half-blood, Fred! I like you already. You're creepy, yes, but seem nice." Percy smirks at the last past, holding out his hand for Fred to shake._

_The son of Phobos cautiously accepts the greeting, unsure if he can trust Percy. Percy grins and tells Fred some things he wasn't really paying attention to. All he focused on was the mission ahead. Percy showed the boy to is cabin, and left for him to settle down._

* * *

_Over time, the boy earned the trust of many naive people at the camp, including a few of the 7 except Annabeth and Leo. Hazel was suspicious, but liked the boy nonetheless. Over time, the boy grew selfish, and was demanding. He struck fear into all that denied him, and used the friends he had made with charmspeak._

_After a short 2 months of being there, he tricked everyone into hating Percy. Well, almost everyone. Annabeth never liked the boy, and would follow Percy to the ends of the Earth before she sided against him. Thalia was off doing Hunter stuff, so she didn't really know what was happening. Grover was off spreading the joy of protecting the Wild, so he was never at camp. What happened to the rest of them? They fell into the trap of Fred. Well, nobody knew what happened to Nico, but they suspect he managed to escape._

_One day Percy finally had enough. He told Annabeth he was leaving forever. She insisted to go with him, and he took her with him. He packed up and left, not stopping to say goodbye to anyone. When he reached Thalia's tree, Annabeth was already there. He didn't bother to say anything. They both knew what they were doing._

_Shortly after they left they were called to Olympus. Well, technically they were teleported. Doesn't matter. The Olympians looked angry. Well, most of them. Zeus looked pissed, Posiedon disappointed yet mad, Hera looked like she could cry from frustration, Demeter and Dionysus looked bored, Ares and Athena were glaring with deadly stares, Aphrodite looked sad, and the rest of them just looked angered._

_"Hi?" Was Percy's simple-minded response to the glares weighing upon him. His fathers gaze softened, a look of worry etched on his features._

_"Perseus Jackson, you have been accused of being a traitor of Olympus, how do you plead?"_

_"Uh." Percy was processing what Zeus had said. "Innocent?"_

_Annabeth mentally face-palmed at his stupidity, and a few Gods' faces softened. Percy's face was flooded in confusion._

_"Liar! All who think Perseus to be guilty, raise your hands," Zeus thundered._

_Zeus raised, along with Demeter, Athena, Ares, Hera, Hephaestus_ , _and Dionysus. A few of them were hesitant, but raised anyways. To say Percy was shocked was an understatement. He was frozen in fear, shock.. and betrayal._

_Percy was so surprised he didn't hear what Zeus had said him punishment. Something like, "Perseus...immortal...suffer... eternit...Tart...."_

_The next thing he knew he was grasping for Annabeth as she cried out his name but was held down by the gods. A few of the gods sent him balls of light, including Apollo, Hestia, Aphrodite and Hermes._

* * *

Stay safe. 

Stay hidden.

Stay alive.

That's all he knew.

He knew he might not make it out alive.


	2. A Story of Pain and Sorrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, the story gets better, I promise.

When I arrived at Damasen's shack, I was unsurprised to see it abandoned. I was hoping to see my old friend, or even Bob. But, alas, they were gone..

As I fell into the pit, I could already feel the heat burning at my skin. I fell for what felt like eternity, but when I finally reached the bottom, I caught myself with the water from below. The river was not a major river, that I could tell. But I didn't bother to find out what river it was; I was close to the shore. I stood up on the glass sand, and made my way to the river of fire.

On the way to the shack I drank from The Phlegethon, and had fought a few hellhounds and a dracaena. I had to stay hidden, which was not as hard as I thought it to be. There wasn't a lot of commotion, which was unsurprising to say the least. After Gaia was put to sleep again, the monsters had nothing to do, no one to serve. I followed the river for a while, eventually trailing off to find the Hermes shrine after a few days of walking.

After finding some food from the shrine, I headed off to cross the River Acheron. Oh, how I despised that river. The river of misery! I hated it so. Those _awful_ thoughts it plants in your brain. But, alas, I could not escape the pain it would bring me. I had taken the shortest part of crossing, across from the Forest of Curses. This time, though, I made sure I wasn't close. I'd had too many experiences with curses for my liking.

It had been talking in voices I recognized. Voices of... my dead peers. Luke, telling me I could've killed Kronos sooner. Ethan, asking why I didn't save him faster. Beckendorf. Silena. Zoe. Bianca. Bob. Damasen. Leo. And _so_ many more... 

_"You could've saved us"_

_"You're a disappointment"_

_"You murderer"_

_"I hate you"_

_"Why?"_

_"What did we do?"_

By the time I had reached the shack, I was bloodied and beaten. I was tired. I stumbled into the shack, and looked around. It looked the same as when I had last looked at it, with the Drakon-bone decorations and furnishings. 

I stumbled into the kitchen, looking for something to drink. I was more that happy when I saw a small bottle of the familiar clean liquid sitting in a cupboard. I didn't know where it had come from, but I didn't care. 

I tore off the cap, hesitating before I put it to my mouth. I used m power over water to lift it out of the bottle, testing it and checking that it wasn't poison. When it obeyed my command correctly, giving me a familiar feeling in my stomach, I stopped questioning it, and happily slurped it down without hesitation. 

I stumbled onto the couch, falling asleep almost instantly. Just before I drifted off, I hoped I would have a peaceful rest. But then again, demigods _never_ have peaceful rests. 

_Images of my dead comrades slashed at my vision, showing me pain and torment no person should ever taste. There was a shadow that didn't move, though the images changed before I could register them. The shadow glowed silver, and the images ended after what felt like eternity. There was blood. So much blood. A room of blood. Yes, a room that shone the most beautiful color of red you've ever seen!_

_Red. It was all there was. So many shades of red! I frowned. The shadow was still there, burning into the back of my mind._

_A familiar woman walked out of the shadow. How did I know her? I did not know. Her white hair glistened as she hummed to herself, studying my fallen appearance. I gazed upon her hastily, only then processing what she was wearing._

_She wore the corpses for show. They trailed behind her, grotesque fabrics made of flesh and bone, spreading across the endless blood room. Those bereft of legs and feet used hands and elbows; those lacking jaws and tongues moaned from the hollows of their throats. I looked down towards where her cloak led, until I was no longer certain of where here dress ended and the room began._

_The silver haired woman hummed in amusement at my repulsion, while I simply stared at her with a look of pure horror. She pulled down her dark hood, revealing sharp features that I immediately recognized. She smiled sweetly at my realization, greeting me. "Hello, tourist. Long time no see, yes?"_

_I gasped, trying to look away from the primordial. She sighed, and said, "I have forgiven you, Perseus. You were just doing what you must to put my sister back into her stupid sleep."_

_"Oh" was all I could muster, before fainting--though I was already asleep._


	3. Bob Says Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

I ran into camp, stumbling on the way. I could feel tears falling through my eyes, and I could hear the sobs are muffled screams seeping through my lips. I knew my friends were running up to me, but I fell and crashed next to Thalia's tree. 

I heard someone shout my name, but I didn't look away from my hands as my fingers dug into the dirt angrily. My tears fell from my eyes onto my hands, and I loosened my grip a bit. My tears came more angrily now.

_How could they do it?_

_How could they think he was a traitor?_

_He was innocent.... He shouldn't have been punished for something he didn't do..._

I was going to prove it. And I was going to show them all he was innocent. My Seaweed Brain was innocent. 

I stood up, my hands and knees dirty. I could feel tears still streaming down my face, but I didn't care. I looked around at my comrades, a scowl on my face. "He's innocent."

The group grew confused looks on their faces, and watched as I stormed off to my cabin. I felt their gazes burning against my back but I ignored it. I ignored the confused stares of campers walking around. I ignored everything. I had one goal. I was going to prove him innocent. And _nothing_ was going to get in my way.

* * *

"How could they possibly think that?" Hazel asked me, ignoring the shock on her friends faces.

"I-I don't know..." I said, staring solemnly at my feet.

"I feel bad for not talking to him for a while now," I heard Frank whisper.

Jason held his knees to his chest as he sat next to Percy's bed. "I was going to talk to him last week, and at first I couldn't find him, right? So I went to the lake, and found him staring at the stars. I decided not to approach him because I didn't know what he was doing."

Jason paused, looking up to meet my gaze. "Go on," I told him.

"I hid next to a tree, and waited for him to do something. I watched him and at first he didn't do anything. It was like he was in a trance. He didn't move for what felt like half an hour, but I'm sure it was less than 10 minutes. Still, that was really weird, since he's one of the most ADHD people I've ever met," Jason sighed, taking a deep breath. "Finally he let out a small sigh, his gaze unbreaking from a single constellation. He gave the stars a small, sad smile and said, 'Bob says hello.' I don't know who Bob is, but I guess Percy knew him well or something. A single tear slid down his cheek, glistening softly in the moonlight. His smile faltered for a second before he asked, 'Hi Zoe, it's been a while, how's life in the stars?'"

My breath hitched as I looked at Jason with wide eyes. I felt small tears once again crawl out of my eyes, and I looked over at Nico. He looked just as sad and shocked as I felt. "I remember Zoe," he said. "The huntress, right?"

I gave a solemn nod, and everyone looked confused. I shook my head, as if to say, _we'll tell you later._

"Jason, can you continue?" I half asked half whispered. 

He nodded and continued, "'Life down here isn't that great,' he said. 'Ever since that new kid came, people have been ignoring me. Can I tell you a story?' He had paused, as if expecting an answer. When he didn't get one, he continued talking. 'When my friends and I were traveling on our ship, we ran into Hercules. I was grounded, so I didn't actually meet him. I wish I did, though. I would've kicked his arse for you. I know I didn't know you long, but I still like talking to you. If you were here right now you'd probably laugh in my face and tell me, _Look at thy self, talking to no one_.' Percy chuckled to himself, probably imagining her next to him. He didn't say anything after that, and he just lay down on the beach, gaze unwavering from the stars." 

I let out a half-hearted chuckle, imagining Zoe laughing at Percy while he talked to the her. Piper looked at me and asked, "Who even says the word 'thy' anymore?"

"She was one of the oldest huntresses, older than Artemis herself. She was never near modern people, and the old English just stuck with her, I guess." Nico answered, shrugging. 

No one talked after that, we just sat around thinking. I looked around, knowing no one would break the silence. I curled up on his bed, and fell asleep. I don't know what the others did, but I know we all fell asleep in cabin 3.


	4. His Secret Stash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

When I woke up, everyone was just starting to wake up, too. Light shone in the cabin, giving it a gentle glow that lit up the cabin just right. I looked around, noticing I had fallen asleep on Percy's bed. 

I looked up at the shield that hung over his bed, my eyes studying all his 'souvenirs'. The Minotaur horn was my personal favorite. It reminded me of the first time I met him. The first thing I said to him was, "You drool when you sleep."

I chuckle at the memory, my eyes finding a small chest on the table by his bed. I had never seen it before, so I quickly went to look inside. As I grabbed it, I heard Piper yawn. "What's that?"

"I... don't know. I've never seen it before." It was strange. I'd been in the cabin many times before, but had never seen the box.

Everyone was gathered around the bed, now, gazing curiously at the small chest. I flipped the small lock, opening it slowly. Hazel piped up, "So? What's in it?"

I took out a few drachma's, setting them next to me. Next I grabbed a necklace with a small trident charm I had never seen before. I gasped as I saw what the next thing was. 

"What is it?" Nico asked, glancing nervously at the chest.

"Um... Nico before I pull this out, let me tell you I had no idea Percy had this." At this comment, Nico paled (if that's possible).

I pulled out an infamous floppy dark green beanie. Nico gasped, tears welling up in his eyes. He reached up as I handed it to him, and he whispered a thank you. Everyone was looking at Nico now, confused as to why he wasn't being the usual depressed terd he was. Nico smiled, hugging the cap to his chest gently.

Nobody said anything, so I pulled out something else. It was an eye patch. At first, I hardly recognized it. I knew who it belonged to, though. "Oh my gods..."

"Is that an eye patch?" Jason asked.

"Hey, Nico, do you remember Ethan Nakamura..?" I asked, glancing at the boy who had wide eyes.

"Wow... I had no idea Percy kept all this stuff.." Nico mumbled.

The rest of the group just sat, thinking. While they whispered among themselves, I pulled out a small disk with a remote. I pressed the top button, and everyone went quiet as a board on the ground popped open. Inside was a small DVD player. I lifted it out, setting it so all the demigods could see. 

I placed the disk inside, watching as it turned on. I picked up the remote, playing the first file.

Suddenly, a 13-year-old Percy stood on screen, twisting pen Riptide in his hands. All of us stared, sutprised at the boy who we came to know as a lot more than the 12 year old on screen.

"Hi, my name's Percy Jackson, and today is August 18th, my 13th birthday. If your watching this I'm dead or I found someone I can trust. Knowing my trust issues, I'm probably dead," young Percy chuckled.

"Well, at the beginning of this summer I was brought to this camp by the only friend I've ever had, Grover Underwood. My life turned around once I got here. It turned out Greek Gods are real. And my friend Grover, well, he's a Satyr. I found out my dad is a god, which makes me a demigod. Or a half-blood. Whatever you please. Anyways, my dad's the Greek god Poseidon. I met him this summer.. He, um, told me I was a mistake. That I should never have been born.." Percy trailed off, clearly already bored.

"Where was I? Oh, right! So I went on a quest to retrieve Zeus' bolt 'cause a bunch of people thought I stole it. When I first got to camp I fought the Minotaur. He was a jerk. I killed him with his own horn. I passed out for like a week. I met a girl named Annabeth. She told me I drool when I sleep. A nice Hermes kid named Luke taught me how to use a sword. Later he turned out to be a traitor. Grover and Annabeth went with me on the quest. We killed Medusa, blew up a bus, you know, the usual. It's not like I hadn't blown up a bus before. 

"Anyways, let me tell you a bit about me. My moms name is Sally Jackson. She's amazing! Um, I have a step-father. His name is Smelly Gabe. He abused me. Uh, just thought you should know that." Percy paused, biting his lip. "I don't really have much to say, but I hope I don't die! I'll tell you more about myself next time. Okay, bye!"

The screen cut off to black as we sat in silence. Finally, Frank broke the silence. "He was abused?"

"I knew Gabe was bad, but I never knew he did that.." I said, gazing around sadly.

I grab the remote, and play the next video. Percy appears on screen, this time a but older.

"When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around, do you ever really crash or even make a sound? No, please, tell me. I really want to know. Maybe I'll ask Thalia...

"Oh, wait! I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Percy Jackson, and today is August 18th, my 14th birthday. This summer I went on another quest. When I got here, someone had poisoned Thalia's tree. If you're watching this, you most likely know the story of Thalia. She was a tree for 7 years. 

"Anyways, her tree was poisoned, right? Also, Grover was kidnapped by Polyphemus. He was pretending to be a female cyclops. Good thing Polyphemus is an idiot! Anyways, Annabeth, Clairisse and I went trough the Sea of Monsters. Oh wait, Tyson was with us too! Anyways, I got turned into a gineau pig, and all that jazz. Uh, we played that whole 'no one' card, and he was pissed. It was really funny. So, we got the golden fleece, had a run in with Luke at one point, made some hippocampus friends, you know, the usual. Clairisse flew back to CHB and gave them the fleece, and I got a ride with Chiron. And then when we got back and put the golden fleece on the Tree, it worked to well and Thalia got brought back to life. And that's how I made a friend named Thalia Grace." He gave his best jazz hands, smirking.

"I lied. She doesn't like me very much. I don't understand, I'm so lovable! Anyways, every time Grover as a cup of coffee, he says Pan is talking to him. Um, let's just say he's not really allowed coffee. Oh! I almost forgot, when I went home last year I turned Gabe into a statue. So he's gone! Yay. Okay, I have a feeling someones going to catch me, so let's hope I stay alive for another one of these!" Percy waved as the screen cut to black.

"He killed his step-dad?" Jason had asked.

"Yup," I popped the P.

"I really don't know what to say to that," Nico grumbled.

"Um, the next one.. it'll talk about you-know-who. Are you okay with that Neeks?" I asked.

He nodded his head, not saying anything, so I play the third tape.

"I've lost too many people. I don't want anyone else to go.. But life'll always fall down, ey? Anyways, I'll be talking about 2 quests this time. The first one was around the time of the Winter Solstice. The second was this summer. Okay? Okay. Wait, I need to introduce myself. 

"Hi, my name is Perseus Achilles Jackson, I'm 15 years old today, and I don't want to die. Okay, if Nico is watching this, I want you to know I'm never going to forgive myself for what I did. I'm really sorry. If you found this tape, then you found the cap. Have it. I know I should've given it to you sooner, but hey, better late than never, right?"

Nico gasps, and Percy continues. "This winter I got a distress call from my friend Grover. Then I went to a school with my friend Annabeth and my cousin Thalia. We found 2 demigod siblings, parentage unknown. Their names were Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. There was a manticore there, too. When we got there we met up with Grover. We were led into the woods by the manticore, where we met Artemis and her hunters. Annabeth got captured by the manticore and we went to the hunters camp. Anyways, Artemis went on her own personal hunt, and Apollo took the hunters and my friends to Camp Half-Blood. Artemis' lieutenant, Zoe Nightshade, seemed pretty cool for a man-hater. Oh, crap! I forgot the part where Bianca joined the hunters. Nico was devastated. Anyways, on the way to camp, Nico kept pestering Apollo with questions. Oh, yeah. Nico was 10, and Bianca 13. Nico was really nice too. Well, as nice as an ADHD demigod who was obsessed with Mythomagic can be. Uh, in capture the flag the oracle came out and gave Zoe a quest. Artemis was captured. When they went on the quest I, being the good little boy I am, snuck out and joined them. "

As Percy continued to summarize the quest, I looked around at my friends. Nico looked uneasy, and I couldn't blame him. I focused on the story once again.

"So, Bianca saw something in the junkyard. She picked it up, much to our dismay. So a giant protector of the junk rose up. And... one was lost in 'the land with no rain.' And that 'one' was Bianca Di Angelo. Then we went up and fought Atlas. I held up the sky. I let Artemis free. Okay, imagine all of your muscles and bones burning in lava. Now imagine that pain 10x as worse. Uh, we fought Atlas. Another person gone. Atlas got the sky back, but killed his daughter. Zoe Nightshade, lieutenant of Artemis and daughter of Atlas. She got a constellation. The Huntress. Annabeth and I have matching gray streaks, though! Uh, Bessie got a nice home on Olympus. Thalia joined the hunters. Yeah. Nico was pissed when I told him about Bianca. Poor kid.."

I paused it. Everyone was shocked. Jason spoke up, "I'm trying to imagine Nico as happy and ADHD. I, uh, can't."

Nico snorted. "Your simple minds could never come up with an image so foreign."

"Or they just didn't know you then. You were a cute kid, to say the least." I said.

" _Were_? Am I not still cute?" Nico asked with a joking tone I didn't know he possessed. 

"Oh my gods, did Nico just make a joke?" Piper asked, faking a gasp.

"I think he did," Hazel added.

"You people are weird," Frank mumbled.

"NOOO!" Jason screamed, holding an empty bag.

"What? What's wrong?" Hazel asked frantically.

"I.. ran out of candy corn.." Jason said, sniffling. 

I face-palmed and Piper said, "Seriously Jason?"

I shook my head, and turned to the player, telling everyone to shut up. I continued the recording.

"In the next quest we went into the Labyrinth. Um, after being attacked by cheerleaders at my new school, I returned to Camp Half-Blood and learned about The Labyrinth, part of the palace of Minos in Crete that was designed by Daedalus. During a battle game at the camp, Annabeth and I found an entrance into the Labyrinth. We found out that Luke was using it for his army. We issued a quest, grabbed Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and went on the quest. A lot of random crap happened. Uh, to sum it up, we found Pan. Pan faded and now I have part of his spirit. I met a kid named Ethan Nakamura, I fought him. Obviously, I won. Apparently I'm 'the best sword fighter in 300 years.' Ba-dah-bing, ba-da-boom, I ran into Nico, who was attempting to bring his sister back from the dead. Uh, he got all dark and creepy. Minos taught him to shadow-travel. Uh, Daedalus died, I got a pet Hellhound, I blew up a mountain. You know, the usual. Oh, yeah, Tyson was with us. Um, when I blew up I woke up on Ogygia, the island of Calypso. She was nice. She fell in love with me, though. That was a problem. Anyways, when I got back apparently everyone thought I was dead. Battle of the Labyrinth- I know you know what it is- happened. Bleh." Percy yawned.

"Anyways, I'm part of this great prophecy and apparently I'm most likely going to die when I reach 16. Yay," he said sarcastically.

"Let's hope I see you next year, peace out my watchers," he finished as he turned off the camera. 

"He forgot to mention the kiss in the Labyrinth," I scrunched up my nose. "Jerk."

We all smiled, thinking of our friend. I could feel my eyes water as I remembered what the gods did to my Seaweed Brain. 

"I wonder what he's doing now..."

With that thought, we played the next video.


	5. A Drakon & A Patron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh, for the sake of the plot, not only children of Ares can kill a drakon.   
> Percy POV

I was breathing hard as I awoke from my nightmare. What the Hades was that? Nyx? Seriously? _Maybe it's my mind playing some sort of sick trick on me_ , I thought, my face etched in confusion.

As I breathed in the sickly air of Tartarus, I became painfully aware of my surroundings. Before I could think back to the events of the day before, a loud roar tore me from the thoughts plagiarizing my mind.

I let out a groan. Why me? My body already hurts. Sure, the fire-water healed me, but that didn't mean every part of my body didn't ache. Stretching out my muscles, I realized what the roar was. How could I have been so oblivious? _A drakon._

I guess it sensed someone was home. Whoops. Grabbing Riptide and, uncapping her, I ran outside to find a large drakon coming towards the hut. I cough, gripping riptide, and charge.

I slash and stab, noting any weak spots I see. I fought one last time I was in Tartarus, and had some experience with one in the Titan War. How did Clarisse kill it again? Oh, yeah. She was filled with pure rage. Pure.. revenge. 

I charge at the drakon one last time, names and faces clouding my mind. _This is for Silena. For Beckendorf. For Bianca. For Zoe. For Ethan. For Leo. For everyone I have ever loved and cared about. But, most importantly, for_ Annabeth _._

The next thing I knew I was standing in front of a small pile of dust and a drakon corpse. I could not recall how it happened. Truthfully, I could not remember what I was doing. I looked at the ground, speechless. 

What had I been doing again? Oh, right. I was going to . . . . Ah, I couldn't remember. 

I was suddenly overcome with a wave of drowsiness. I looked down at the golden dust strayed across the land beneath my feet, took a deep breath of the poisonous air, and went back inside to sit down, dragging the carcass to set outside the hut. 

As I laid the drakon down, stepping inside, I suddenly remembered the last nights dream. _Nyx_.

I shook my head. _No, no, Percy, don't think about that._

I rid myself of the thought, setting myself down of the couch, and closed my eyes. _Only for a moment_ , I had decided.

But, alas, nothing ever lasts for a moment, does it? 

_It was the endless red room again. The lady in the carcass cloak again._

_"Nyx," I greeted._

_"Percy, how have you been?" She asked, a touch of worry in her voice._

_"Good, I guess? Other than the fact I'm in Hell and most of my friends hate me," I answered honestly. "But why do you want to talk to me?"_

_"Ah, I'd like to be your patron, of course!" I hadn't been sure I'd heard her correctly. Patron? Really?_

_"Patron?" I had asked, confusion lacing my tone._

_"Yes, I'd give you my blessing, help you train it, you get the gist." I couldn't believe she'd just said that. She was talking with what my girlfriend liked to call "toilet grammar." It makes you seem like you're trying to hard and you know your reader already knows the gist of a statement. It was... complicated, to say the least._

_"I apologize, my lady, I'm not sure of what I should say."_

_"Yes. You should say yes. My stupid sister had it all wrong! Heroes aren't meant to be destroyed, they're meant to be trained! So they can become strong! And more useful!" Nyx sounded excited about this. I took the liberty of ignoring her last statement._

_"Yes," I said confidently. "I have nothing else to lose."_

_A black light suddenly blanketed me, and in a moment all I saw was a bright light._

_Was it black?_

_Was it white?_

_I couldn't tell you._

_It was bright, though._

I woke up with a jolt of power, suddenly feeling stronger. 

Well, I had been feeling surges of energy since my. . . banishment, so it wasn't that surprising at first. But, this was stronger. Darker, in some ways. Faster, too. Only then I realized what had happened in the past few days in which I've been in the Pit- it was easier than last time. 

I tried to think back on what Zeus had said before sending me down here. Something about immortality blinked at the edge of my mind. Maybe it had to do with the glowing orbs. Maybe that's why I had felt stronger. 

What else did I feel? Well, I also felt hunger.

If only I had the power to make food pop up out from nowhere! It would make that churning storm in my stomach calm down. I ignore the nagging thought in my brain trying to remind me of my dream, and glare at the table.

I just . . . want some chicken nuggets! Is . . . is that a crime?

A chicken nugget appears on the counter that I'd been glaring at for 10 minutes. _What the Hades?_

I stare at it for a minute, unsure of what I should do. I reach out for it, attempting to convince myself it's real, and pick it up.

 _Oh, my gods, it's real!_ I didn't stop to think about it, and shoved it gently into my mouth. My mouth which hadn't touched food in 3 days. 

So, let me re-asses my day. I had woken up to the cries of an angry drakon, killed the drakon, had a weird dream and got a patron, and then I summoned a chicken nugget. And that, kids, concludes today's antics in _The Average Life of Percy Jackson._


	6. Loneliness On The Road to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
> 
> -Mark Twain
> 
> Percy POV

From that day forward I started up a routine. Sleep, wake up, go out to the weird well I don't question, boil the well water, cook some drakon meat and try to summon more chicken nuggets (Well, not _just_ chicken nuggets, but you get the gist). Also, I took the liberty of practicing my powers. 

You may be wondering, _Wow, Percy, you actually had a routine?_ Yeah, I surprised myself a bit, too, at first. Every once and a while it would be messed up, too, because a drakon comes bouncing in. Damasen used to say it came every day, but I guess I got a bit lucky because that guy only came every few days.

It didn't bother me much, either. I'd grown accustomed to the occasional monster popping in to say hello. A week or so ago (time isn't good in the Pit), a hellhound came in for a visit. I went out and tried to say hi, but, well, it didn't take my kindness very good. It attacked me. _Wow, can you get on with it already? I wanna know about your new powers!_

Yeah, this story is important. Be patient. 

So, I killed the hellhound. And as the golden dust floated away, in it's place stood a hellhound puppy. It looked like it was just born, too. As I looked down on it, I couldn't help but think of my pet hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. I couldn't just kill it. I'm not a heartless monster!

So, I took it in, cleaned it, fed it, did all that jazz. It felt good to have a friend down there. I decided to name it. First, though, I checked it's gender. It was a male.

I thought about calling it Bob, after the friend who'd saved me last time I was there, but then I realized that I couldn't. There was already a pet named after him- Small Bob, a small skeleton kitten. So I thought of another name. I thought about Mr. O'Leary, just for the joke of it, but decided against it. Who wanted to name their puppy named after the town Irish lunatic from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer,_ anyways? 

I thought of Greek names, too. Maybe one of Underworld decent, like Thanatos or Cerebus. I thought about Persephone and all the guys who'd charged down into the Underworld. I thought about that old story about Orpheus and the one where Dionysus had gone down to the Underworld to get his mom- the only reason I knew it was because I'd done the same thing- and thought about that Underworld god he was sometimes conflated with. What was his name? Zagreus. So, I named the puppy Zagreus. _(Fun fact: Zagreus was worshiped by the followers of Orpheus.)_

Zagreus was a good puppy- he sat every time I held up food, and barked when a monster came near. He didn't beg when not given food- I think he understood the importance of food down there. He stuck to my side, no matter what I was doing. Sleeping? He's next to me. Practicing? He's there. Fighting? He's watching. 

He was learning- and growing- quickly. Maybe it was Tartarus's weird time or some monster thing. It reminded me of that old saying, _They grow up so fast._

That is old, right? Whatever. 

Anyways, after a run-in with an _empousa_ , I found out I was resistant to charmspeak. I found I was faster, too, and I figured that it was the partial blessing of Hermes- I'd tried to do other cool stuff Hermes kids do, but I was only faster. The charmspeak was Aphrodite's blessing, no doubt, and even though I was uncertain about it at first, I soon realized how helpful it could be. It didn't make me better looking, but instead it make me able to resist, and to a limited amount, use charmspeak. By a "limited amount," I mean on smaller monsters, like spirits or hellhounds. If I had to, I could probably use it on something bigger, though I suspect it would only take more energy from me. 

I soon realized- even though I was stupid not to sooner- I was more resistant to heat. Sure, it could feel colder and hotter, but I mostly felt normal- temperature wise, at least. Then I found I could summon food, but it took a lot of time and made me tired. Only one god fit this blessing, and it was goddess of the Hearth, Hestia. I know that portions of every peice of food demigods sacrificed went to Hestia, and now some went to me. I couldn't exactly "summon' food, so to speak. No, I could call upon sacrificed foods and take some for myself. It was useful, yes, but I'll say this one more time: it took a lot of energy. 

Speaking of energy, let's go to my last blessing from the gods. It helped me be able to gain and restore energy faster. I could heal minor injuries on my body, but who knew what I would be able to do in the future; heal larger injuries, I hoped. Sea, if you haven't figured it out, I got a minor blessing of healing from Apollo- around the same power an average Apollo kid healer had. 

I was more than happy about the blessings, but I was hesitant about the blessing of Nyx- I was scared of what I could do and didin't really want to find out. All I knew so far was that I was stronger at night, which wasn't a surprise, and could bend shadows like my cousin, Nico. 

See, Nico had gone through Tartarus alone- and gotten captured- and came out with PTSD. After being here alone, I started to sympathize on a level I couldn't have imagined if I hadn't been banished. Just thinking about my family made me sad- though they cast me out. I missed Annabeth, most of all. I missed her brilliant ideas and advice, and the little things, like little kisses on the cheeks.

Why is it that only when you are truly alone you start to notice the little things? Like a sunny day or a flower in the wind. A nice walk on the beach, or good, filling food. It didn't make sense, at first, but then I thought about it more. 

I soon realized that two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.


	7. Wait For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

"I want you to make me immortal," I started. Suddenly yelling broke out between the gods.

"Quiet," Zeus commanded. "And why do you think we will give you this wish?"

"Well, you still owe me a wish," I said. "And I want you to take it away- as long with my LOYAL boyfriend's- when he get's back from Tartarus."

"If," corrected Zeus. "Not _when."_

Murmurs of what I assumed were agreement- and disagreement- broke out between the gods in hushed conversations.

"Please, Zeus," I said desperately. "Let me wait for him. Let me wait for the man I love."

Zeus looked deep in thought. Hera had a soft- for her, at least- look on her face. "You would wait for eternity for a man you love?"

I bowed my head in sorrow. "Yes, for a million years and more. He is my second half. My soulmate."

Hera sighed in understanding. "Husband, I agree with the girl. We should make her immortal. Even for the love of a traitor." 

"What did Percy ever do?" I begged. "Please, tell me!"

"He murdered several of his own kind," Mom growled. "Demigods."

I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. He would never do that. "Have you forgotten his fatal flaw, Mother?"

Athena was silent for a moment. "No," she said. "That can't be-"

I glared at her. "But it _is."_

Zeus gazed uneasily at Athena. "Daughter, what is going on?"

"I . . ." She looked pale in the dim lighting of the throne room. "I'm not sure."

I hear a snort from Poseidon, but did my best to ignore it. Athena made eye contact with her father. "How _exactly_ did we know Percy Jackson was a traitor?"

"He killed several demigods," Zeus said, not 100% sure of his claim. "What else is to know?"

"And how exactly did you find this information?" I inquired.

Zeus sucked in a breath, looking to Hera and then back at me. "Very well, Hero of Olympus. We shall make you immortal," he said, and I hid my smirk. "But, we cannot offer you immortality alone."

I was a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"We will offer the other heroes- the 7- immortality as well."

I pressed my lips together in a thin line. "Okay," I said. "Call them up here."

Zeus looked at Hermes. "You heard the girl."

"Huh?" Hermes asked. "Oh, yeah." He flashed out. 

Memory is a weird thing. See, I don't have any recollection of what happened while we were waiting for Hermes to come back. It's just blank, then there's a pile of a strange liquid near Poseidon's throne, a smiling Hermes, and a group of confused, awe-struck demigods whom I recognized as the rest of the 7 and Nico. 

I waved weakly at my friends. 

Jason asked, "Why are we here?"

Great conversation starter, Sparky. 

"We have a proposition for you," Drama King said. "It has been requested by your comrade, Annabeth Chase."

They all turned towards me with questioning expressions. Nico looked more tired than anything, but he still looked contemplative. 

"So?" Piper said, daring to make eye-contact with the king of the gods. "What exactly is this proposition, Lord Zeus?"

Zeus sucked in a breath. "Immortality," he said. "We are offering you immortality."

They all looked shocked. I rolled my eyes, stepping forward once more. "I accept."

They all stared at me with _wtf?_ looks on their faces. Jason looked contemplative, stepping up next to me. "I accept," he said. "But may I have partial immortality like the hunters of Lady Diana? There're people waiting for me down there." 

"Very well," said Zeus. "And the rest of you?"

"I'll take the same as Jason, please, my lord," Piper decided. Aphrodite seemed to beam at her daughter. 

"Yeah, I think I'll have to pass." Nico clapped his hands together. "I want to, ah, enjoy my experience of age and dying. Also, I have the same reason Percy had when he first declined immortality."

The gods cringed, but I beamed at him. "Oh! Who's the lucky guy?"

Nico's face went red and the rest of the 7 stared at him. Jason had a smirk, Piper had a small, devious smile, and Frank and Hazel had shocked expressions mixed with realization. 

Hazel and Frank turned to each other, talking between themselves in low voices so we couldn't hear it. Frank stepped up, and said, "We'll both take partial, please." Hazel had nodded, confirming his decision. 

A bright, silver-like glow surrounded me, and the rest of the 7 had different colors, which I though was a bit weird. Jason had a navy blue, Piper pinkish-purple, Frank blood red, and Hazel a gold-sliver mix. 

"You are now stronger, faster, and less hungry," Poseidon declared. "Congratulations!"

I blinked, looking down at myself. Yes, I did feel stronger, and my legs felt they could go a thousand miles. And, strangely enough, the hunger I had felt only minutes before had faded. 

The 7 looked shocked, and Nico just rolled his eyes and the dramatics then left. I looked to Zeus, giving him a fake smile. "Thank you, _Lord_ Zeus."

I then turned around, a smirk plain-as-day on my face, and left.


	8. There's Mist In Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV

As much as I wanted to leave, I knew I couldn't. I didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time I was in the Pit. Last time, I had fallen in. Last time, I had a possible way to escape.

I knew it wasn't the same. I knew what to do this time, yes. But I was banished this time. Sentenced to spent the rest of my miserable life in the deepest part of Hell. The last thing on my mind was _escaping._ It was impossible, and I knew it. 

Tartarus. Hell. The Pit. Whatever you want to call it, it's real. I always knew it was. Even before I found I was half god. Hell is real. Always has been, always will be. 

Because Hell is real. And it wasn't hot. No, it was cold. Freezing. My soul is- was- freezing. 

Hell continued to be real. Hell could be the jealousy I had felt whenever I saw a happy couple walk by. Why couldn't I be that happy? Hell could be the way my stomach churned and my heart broke. Hell was the nightmares. The way they broke me, shattered me. 

Pieces fell-

-onto the floor-

-of my soul.

Hell is real. I knew it. I experienced it. I felt it.

Why did they deny? Hell was being taken away from my other half. My soulmate. My love. 

I had had a dream a few nights before the day I saw the mist. I saw a person I had known. I saw them die. 

I thought they were lucky. My soul was too compromised to feel much. I smiled.

At the face of death, I laughed. Death was an old friend of mine. 

Death wouldn't take me to Hell. No, it would free me from it. 

Hell is real. 

You know that.

I know that.

Hell is real. Dark, misty. Hell was an experience no one enjoyed. I didn't want to die. No, I knew I couldn't. I had something- someone- to live for.

And, well, I was immortal. 

"You're on the road to Hell," a woman told me the day I saw the mist. "You can't escape. Can't go back."

I took drakon skin- hide?- and dried it. Made a sort of material. A paper like material. Maybe even a cloth-like material. It was thick, tough. Made good armor. Made good clothing.

I never told anyone I knew how to sew. My mom taught me a bit. Annabeth taught me some weaving. They taught a type of sewing at one of the military schools I went to. 

Also, for some reason, Damasen had a sewing kit. An extra large one, too. The thread was made of drakon hide- he had a lot at his disposal, I guess- and the scissors and needle were drakon bone. 

I'd never been too good at sewing. The blessing of Aphrodite helped, I suppose. By that point in time, I'd made boots- light and easy to run in. I'd made a chestplate, too, along with a skirt-type armor that looked weird but was good for battle. 

By that point, I was determined to make myself look as creepy as possible. Monsters freak out their prey by looking creepy, I guessed. So I was going to make myself able to scare the scariest monster. 

See, the day I saw the mist was a strange one. It was the day I first wore my hellhound-hide leggings (don't ask). It was the day I went for a walk. It was the day Zagreus proved he could defend himself. 

It all started when I woke up from a strange dream. "You're on the road to Hell," a woman told me in my dream. "You can't escape. Can't go back."

I didn't see anyone. I just heard this voice. 

I grabbed the hellhound-hide leggings and slipped them on for the first time. I put my battle skirt on over them, and threw on my chestplate. The chestplate with the hood with drakon skin lining the outside and hellhound fur lining the inside. It kept my face warm and hidden. 

I put Zagreus's collar on, grabbed some drakon jerky, and together we headed out into Tartarus. We headed out through the clearing, and I could see the Forest of Curses getting closer to our side as we headed out towards the Acheron. 

I headed towards same spot I had come in from. Zagreus growled when we were in the middle of the river and forest. I put a hand on his head, signalling him to calm down. We walked until we were next to the banks, a few rocks jutting out of the ground next to us. 

I pointed to the other side of the river, where, at least a half hour walk from the shore, the Hermes shrine lay in the distance. I'd been training Zagreus more than anything else. 

At first when he shadow-traveled, it was short and he was exhausted afterwords. We discovered he was fine traveling shorter distances later. The farther he went, the more tired he was. I was only asking a short distance, a bit further than the other side of the shore, knowing it wouldn't make him tired. I knew it would hardly do anything, even if we were traveling a long distance.

"Can you take me there?" I asked, handing him a piece of jerky. He let out a low yelp, moving so I could get on him. 

I got on him, connecting my control over darkness with his. It helped make him stronger, so he would be fine. Sudden darkness took over us, and as disorientation subsided I noted we were a bit farther than I had planned. Zagreus, despite my worries, seemed fine. 

I patted him on the head and together we started towards the shrine, and I manipulated the shadows to hide us better. 

As we grew near, I saw that it was abandoned. There was food there- something I knew was not a usual occurrence. It was only a small bit, but as soon as I saw it I sprinted for it. Zagreus had seemed surprised at my sudden movement, and tried to keep up through stumbling steps. 

I devoured the food, leaving a bit of meat for my pet hellhound. I took out riptide and a piece of dried hide-paper. I uncapped my pen, watching as it changed into a familiar bronze sword. I sighed, placed the cap the the hilt of the sword, and watched as it shrunk back into a ballpoint pen. 

I started writing. " _Dear Annabeth..."_

I looked over to Zagreus who was lying next to me. I continued writing, not too sure of what I would say. " _I'm immortal. A gift I never wanted. Is that the thing I'm most concerned about? No. I miss you more. I'll wait forever for you. I hope you'll do the same. Don't bother to write back. I'll be gone. I'm fine, if you were wondering. I'm just in Hell. I think we've always been in Hell, though._

_"I'm staying at the shack, if you were wondering. I haven't had many run-ins with monsters, well, nothing big. I saw a giant a bit back, but that isn't important. I'm safe. I have food, thank Hestia. Anyways, love you,_

_"-Seaweed Brain."_

I shoved my pen in my pocket, then reached into the small pouch connected to my war skirt. I found a match-like-twig, flicking it on some hide. I watched as a small flame leapt up, and I couldn't help but think of Leo. 

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I folded the paper, and wrote " _For Annabeth"_ on the top.

I set it down, and grabbed the lighter and flicked it once more. I watched as the flame leaped into the air, and put it against the edge of the hide. It lit immediately and I watched solemnly as my note went up in flames. 

She would've got it soon, I reasoned. I hadn't been sure of when.

Once again, I shook my head. I stood up and went over by Zagreus, shaking him softly. "Hey buddy, let's go, okay?"

He yawned, stood up, and started towards the Acheron once more. I walked beside him, riptide held tightly in my hand. Once we got a good 20 feet away from the bank, Zagreus motioned for me to mount him. 

I got on him, connecting my power over darkness with his. Once again, we shadow-traveled to the other side of the river, disorientation taking over until a few seconds afterwards. I stumbled off my hellhound, looked around, and noted we were, in fact, on the banks of the correct side of the river.

I handed him a piece of jerky, using my heightened senses to make sure nothing was hiding, waiting in the darkness. The first thing I noticed was that I felt nothing but the hellhound at my side. I couldn't feel the forest, the rocks jutting out of the round, or the River of Woe crashing behind me.

The next thing I noticed was the mist. It was like any mist, like the type you might see resting over a mountain. That, like everything else, seemed off. I didn't remember mist from before. I looked around, trying to see if I could see better than I could sense. 

It didn't do much. I suddenly heard giggling, like that of a teenage girl. _Empousa_ , Annabeth's voice whispered in my mind. _Vampires_.

I looked towards the direction I heard it from, but as soon as I did, I heard more giggling from behind me. _Empousa_ are fast, I remembered. They can charmspeak and manipulate the Mist.

Only then did I realize what was surrounding me. It wasn't any normal mist, no, it was Mist- a magical barrier that covers up demigods to mortals, and sometimes even demigods. I had a bit of power over them, yes, with my resistance to charmspeak, but I still tensed, readying myself for a fight.

Next to me, Zagreus growled, and I heard a huff of annoyance from what I assumed was an _empousa_.

"They didn't tell us he had a hellhound!" a girls voice screeched. 

"It doesn't matter," another voice said. "We aren't supposed to _fight_ him."

I was a bit confused, to say the least. What did they mean by they weren't supposed to fight me? I figured there was only one way to find out. "Show yourselves!" I said.

Out from the Mist walked 3 figures- _empousa_ \- and they all walked towards me, grouping up. When they stood in front of me, I decided to ask the question that was running through my mind. "What do you want?"

 _Empousa_ would've been undoubtedly beautiful if it wasn't for the one metal and one donkey leg and flaming hair. I didn't recognize any of them, which was a bit surprising because I'd seen too many _empousa_ for my lifetime. 

"We bring a message," the one on the left hissed.

"Yes," the one in the middle- the leader, I assumed- said. "We bring a message from our mistress."

"Mistress?" I inquired, tensing once more.

"Yes," the one on the left said. "Our Lady of crossroads."

 _Hecate_ , my mind supplied. _Goddess of the Mist._ "What would the goddess of the Mist want with a so-called traitor?" 

"Percy Jackson, Hero of Olympus, a traitor?" the one on the right asked. "That is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time."

The one in the middle rolled her eyes. "She wishes to bestow the ability to see through and control the mist to you. She also wanted to form an alliance."

I ignored the ability part. "What kind of alliance?"

"That if you are in need of help, we _empousa_ will help you and not hurt you in any way unless you do so first," the leader said again.

"I accept," I said. "Do we swear on the Styx?"

"Yes," the one on the right said. "We've already done so. But if you'd like us to do it again..."

"I swear on the River Styx to accept your alliance and follow your conditions as long as you do the same," I swore.

"We swear on the Styx to our alliance, and to follow our conditions as long as you do the same," the one in the middle said, sealing the deal. 

I felt the mist swirl around me, and found myself standing on the banks on the Acheron, alone all except for Zagreus standing by my side. 

And with that strange experience, we made our way back to Damasen's shack. 


	9. I'm Fine, My Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

"Annabeth! You have a letter," a voice yelled, tearing me from my concentration on the book I had been reading. 

"Go away, Alice," I said while glaring at him.

"B-but- it came from the fire!" Alice exclaimed. 

I put my book down and froze. I was so shocked, I could hardly process what he said. "Repeat that again."

"It came from the fire," she said uncertainly. 

"Give me it!" I stood up, came face to face with her. She hesitantly reached towards her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of parchment. 

I stared at it for a moment and reached out to grab it. It was soft and yellowed, and looked like it was made from a hide of some sort. 

On the top, it read, For Annabeth. I assumed it was, well, for me.

I unfolded it uncertainly, looking to see a gathering group of people- whom I were close to- behind Alice. 

I decided to skim over it, to read aloud after I did silently. 

I skimmed the letter, which was in fluent Greek, to find it was from Percy. I held back a gasp, this had been expected. Who else could've sent a letter that way. 

I'm fine. Those words stood out to me. "I'm fine, my ass," I mumbled.

I looked up again to see a group of my friends and siblings waiting in front of me. Taking in an uneasy breath, I started reading. "Dear Annabeth..."

I looked, again, to the people in front of me. I continued reading, not too sure of what they wanted me to do. "I'm immortal. A gift I never wanted. Is that the thing I'm most concerned about? No. I miss you more. I'll wait forever for you. I hope you'll do the same. Don't bother to write back. I'll be gone. I'm fine, if you were wondering. I'm just in Hell. I think we've always been in Hell, though.

"I'm staying at the shack, if you were wondering. I haven't had many run-ins with monsters, well, nothing big. I saw a giant a bit back, but that isn't important. I'm safe. I have food, thank Hestia. Anyways, love you,

"-Seaweed Brain." I bit back a sob as the crowd stood before me, some looking at their shoes in shame, others blinking back tears. 

I clutched the note, a simple momentum, and sat back down in the spot where I had been reading only minutes before. 

What had he meant by "Thank Hestia"? Was he trying to tell me something? And the shack... Damasen's shack? And who was the giant he had run into? Had it been Damasen? Or someone else?

He was fine, according to the letter. Well guess what, Percy? I thought. I'm not fine.

Had he known I was immortal? Is that why he said he wanted- no, hoped- I would wait for him forever? How would he have known? 

The saddest part? I understood what he meant when he said we'd always been in Hell. I was sure I knew better that everyone listening to the letter, too. Well, maybe Nico had understood. Nico understands everything. 

"Are you okay?" Julia asked, standing next to Alice. As I looked up to the sisters, I realized how much they reminded me of Conner and Travis. Ever since Travis left for college, these two daughters of Hermes had stepped up and became the new pranksters at camp. 

I dully noted some of the campers standing in the front. None of the 7, I noticed. Sherman stood behind Julia, Lou Ellen standing next to the son of Ares. Lacy and Mitchell stood, together, next to Lou Ellen. And next to them, closest to me, was my sister and one of my brothers. 

Everyone had the same look: tear stained cheeks and rueful frowns. 

Out of nowhere, a confused voice asked, "So, what'd I miss?" 

I turned towards Nico, my hands shaking and my cheeks stained with tears. I slowly stepped words him, the letter feeling heavy in my hands. I handed him the parchment, looking him dead in the eye, trying to warn him. 

As he read it, I whispered one last thing. "May the gods have mercy on his soul."


	10. And He Tried To Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

Nothing really happened after the letter. They all continued on with their lives like nothing ever had happened. 

It reminded me, in a way, of the poem Out, Out. The end of it, anyways. The boy dies and everyone- his friends, his family- go back on with their routine as if nothing had ever happened.

It was sad. Sometimes, I felt like the world should've stopped. 'The world should have stopped, but it didn't. The world kept on going. How can the world just keep on going? An earthquake in India kills a thousand people, and the world keeps on going. A famine in China kills a million people, and the world keeps on going. The twin towers of the World Trade Center buckle and fall, and the world, the world keeps on going.'

It was unfair. Life was unfair, but the world just kept spinning. Around and around it went, spinning like it would never end. It gave me a headache. 

People kept moving. It was a routine. They did the same thing every day, every month, every year. It was irritating. 

I remembered when Percy was here. When the days were different, unpredictable. But the price of a memory, is the the memory of the sorrow it brings.

Memories bring sorrow. Dreams bring sorrow.

I had had a dream the night after I got the letter.

Dreams were always worse when Percy was there. He would smile at me, tell me it's alright. he would see me soon enough.

We sat on the beach in that one.

Soon wasn't good enough though. It made my heart break. Your heart truly hurts when it's breaking. You can feel it, every beat another ache, and nothing you can do will stop it, either from breaking or beating.

"Camp isn't the same without you," I sobbed. "It isn't the same place without your smile."

He kept his eyes closed, breathing in the smell of the ocean. "A place is only as good as the people in it."

I leaned into him, breathing in a familiar scent. This dream was more realistic than the others.

"I would give up anything to be with you- to hug, kiss you again," I said solemnly.

"And what, exactly, would you give up?"

I hesitated. He never had asked me questions before in the dreams. It was always me crying on his shoulder, knowing he wasn't truly there.

He still had his eyes closed. The sky grew darker. It seemed, almost, as if he didn't want to look at me. As if he feared I wouldn't be there when he opened them.

"Anything," I said. "But there's more to this world than meets the eye, isn't there?"

He froze. He opened his beautiful green eyes, looking over to meet mine. 

"Yes," he said. "I guess there is."

He tore his gaze away, and I followed suit.

He wrapped his arms around me. "Feel how tight my arms are around you?" he said. "This is how tight I'll be holding you. No matter where you go or where I go, remember how tight I'm holding you."

"I don't think I could ever forget," I said, leaning into his embrace. 

"I'll come back to you," he said at last. "I promise you, if it's the last thing I do, I'll come back to you."

I nodded. "I'll count the minutes until you do." 

And, in a single moment, I was awake again. All it takes is a single moment.

For one last time, I buried my face into my pillow, seeing Percy's face in my mind.

And he tried to breathe.


	11. So She Was Like "I Wanna Pet The Dog" And I Was Like Fuck That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As a writer you try to listen to what others aren't saying... and write about the silence."
> 
> -N.R. Hart
> 
> Percy POV

My nightmare began like this. Everything around me was burning. The ground, the sky, the air- _everything_. Fire leaked everywhere like a parasite eating a host, but it had to get through everything to get to the host. 

The fire was bright and orange- it reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite remember what. I didn't recognize where I was, but I knew if the fire hadn't been there the sky would've been blue and the grass green. I wasn't in Hell anymore. 

There, in the center of it all, stood a figure. He was on his knees, and didn't seem to be burnt. I would've thought he were fine if it hadn't been for the cuts and bruises scattered across his entire (naked) body. Around him were scattered parts, all a material I recognized as celestial bronze. 

He looked familiar. How did I know him? Who was he?

A memory tickled the back of my mind. _The physician's cure,_ it reminded me. _Leo_.

It was impossible. He was dead. Right? 

I had watched him die. I had watched him burst into an oblivion in the sky. I had watched as flames licked the sky, destroying everything in its grasp.

Then _... How?_

The raging fires raced towards me and I tensed, prepared for immense pain. But nothing came. It passed through me, as if I were a soul stuck in Everlost that could not interact with the living world.

It unnerved me. On instinct, I gasped, making the figure turn towards me. My suspicions had been correct. There, facing my direction, was Leo Valdez. He didn't seem to see me, though. He seemed to be, strangely enough, looking right through me. 

But I knew he saw something. The mixture of shock and recognition on his face told me just that. As he looked at me, the recognition changed to horror and he started running in my direction. He ran through me- again, not a nice sensation, and when I turned around to look for him, he was gone. I was alone with the fire- burning, eating everything in its path. The flames were ubiquitous. Whichever way I looked, they were there.

Feeding, eating, destroying. 

Where was Leo? Where had he gone? Had the flames eaten him, too?

A shadow flickered over the flames in my peripheral vision. When I turned, nothing was there. Then, the same shadow flickered to my left, but when I turned, nothing was there.

I couldn't run. When I tried to call out to Leo, no sound came from my mouth. There was nothing but the roaring flames all around me. 

Flames danced through my body- I couldn't feel the burn, but I could feel the heat. The heat was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It wasn't effecting my body, no, I could feel it in my _soul_ \- heat so intense I would've thought I'd fallen into the Phlegethon. But I was fine- I wasn't harmed. Just... shaken up. 

It was powerful, unbelievable. 

And I was fine. 

Until I woke up.

Zagreus was barking at something. As I got out of bed, I couldn't remember my dream- but I knew it was important. All demigod dreams are important. 

As I looked around, I saw Zagreus was by the door. Barking. 

I grumbled and got out of bed, lazily grabbing Riptide and walking towards the door where Zagreus was. 

He stopped barking as soon as I got up. He backed away when I went to the door. I felt an ancient- familiar - presence outside. 

As I opened the door, I was greeted with a familiar face. 

"You got a watchdog?" Nyx asked as soon as I let her in.

"He's tame," I said, then added after a moment, "Most of the time."

She smiled, and, as if Zagreus knew she were safe to approach, he walked up to the (9 foot- she had chosen a smaller form) goddess and laid down next to her. "Hello," Nyx said, trying to hide her smile. 

"His name is Zagreus," I told her. "We don't get many guests, but when we do, he usually tries to rip their heads off."

She chuckled. "I am the mother of them, after all, Perseus."

As she said my name, red sparked my vision, and I remembered my strange dream- well, part of it. "Why are you here?" I asked, trying to change the subject and get her attention away from my dog.

"Can't I check up on my favorite protégé?" she asked.

"I'm you're only protégé, Lady Nyx," I said, looking up into her dark, midnight-like eyes. 

She sighed. "I came to discuss the alliance you've created with the children of Hecate."

"What about it?" I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my tone. 

"Are you sure they can be trusted?" Nyx inquired, and I realized she wasn't mad about it- she was concerned.

"As long as they don't attack me, I don't attack them," I said, completely serious.

She raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure of that?"

"That's what the deal was," I told my patron. "And I will follow it for as long as they do so. And, if one of them attacks me, the others and I may stay diplomatic for as long as we all live."

Nyx frowned, but seemed to trust my decision. "How do you know that, though? How do you know they won't betray you?"

"We swore on the Styx," I said, leaning back into the giant-sized chair I sat in. 

"Ah," she said, not showing any surprise. "I suppose that will hold your truce."

I smiled, and we talked a bit longer. I told her about my training, and how I'd found and raised Zagreus. She told me about what she knew of the living world- which wasn't much- and about how her husband and kids were doing.

After a while, she told me she'd see me soon, then left without another word. But, as soon as she was gone, I felt a presence. It wasn't a being- no, it was more magic. And I knew what it was- I'd felt that power- sensation- before. It was a protection spell. 

No (untrustable) monsters would find me as long as I wasn't looking for them.

That afternoon (I think, you can never be sure in Tartarus), I prayed to Nyx, thanking her for her generous gift. I then gave her an offering, just to add on to my thanks. 

When darkness drifted through Tartarus that night, I knew she was thankful for the offering. It almost helped me sleep better. Almost.

Then I remembered the dream with Leo.


	12. One Man Shall Walk Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV

Today started off like any other day. We did our normal routines, and went to breakfast.

It was a normal day. Until Jason came stumbling out of his cabin, running to Chiron.

"Chiron!" he panted, trying to catch his breath. "I-I need to talk to you... alone. I had this dream-"

Chiron smiled, but I could tell it was serious. "Come with me, then," he said. "Tell me what happened on the way to the Big House."

At first, I watched him walk away. Some people seemed to brush the issue aside as a normal occurrence, but I knew better. And I suspected Jason would somehow end up going on a quest. And I wanted to know why. 

As I left the mess hall, I put on my invisibility cap. I followed in silence.

"-and they were on fire," Jason said. "Everything was on fire!"

"I suppose we were wrong to assume he was dead, then," Chiron said.

"When I saw him, it looked like he saw me," Jason explained. Who was "he"? "But he ran straight through me!"

"If I am correct," Chiron said, "then Leo is in need of help. I think it would be best to see Rachel."

Leo? What did Leo have to do with this? How isn't he dead? Wait... the cure? It worked?

Jason looked confused for a second. "The oracle?"

"Yes," Chiron confirmed. 

Jason nodded, said a quick goodbye, and started towards Rachel's cave. I followed him at a steady pace. 

"Hello?" he asked when we arrived, attempting to knock on the curtain.

"Come in, Jason," a voice I recognized as Rachel Dare said from the inside of her cave.

He looked hesitant, but went in anyways. I decided it would be too risky to go in, but when he opened the curtain I caught a glance of Rachel's newest painting- two boys looking almost conjoined into one, and a frightened Leo Valdez standing in the middle of a large fire. 

I recognized both of the boys. Jason Grace and my lost boyfriend, Percy Jackson. 

I held my breath so the sob I was holding in wouldn't escape my throat. 

"Uh, hi," he said awkwardly. 

"You came here about that dream you had, right?" she asked.

"How'd you know?" Oh, Jason. Poor, innocent Jason.

"Look at this, and tell me if you see something familiar," she said, most likely pointing to the painting I saw.

"It's my dream," Jason gasped. "But who is-"

"I think you already know the answer to that." I imagine she rolled her eyes while saying that. "Ask your question."

Jason sucked in a breath. "How do I find Leo?"

I saw green smoke curl out from under the curtains. 

_"_ _One man shall walk alone,_

_to . . . in the unknown._

_Fire burns . . . love,_

_. . . one shall . . . the dove._

_Awaken a beast . . ._

_and . . . fail to correspond."_

I strained to hear the full thing, but it was as if something were keeping me from hearing it. I was sure of one thing, though: Jason was going on this quest by himself. 

I ran away, deciding not to stick around any longer. I'd heard enough. 

* * *

A few hours later, Jason came to me, a bag hanging from his shoulder. 

"Hey Annabeth," he said. 

I looked up from my book.

"Oh, hey Jason, what's with the bag?" I asked, playing dumb.

"I'm going on a quest," he said with a shrug.

I faked surprise. "What for? Do you need me to come?"

He looked a bit sheepish. "Oh, no, it's a solo quest. I'm going by myself."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's the quest for? Do you have a prophecy?"

"It's uh, a secret," he said, looking a bit scared. "And yeah, I have a prophecy."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. But when you get back, I want all the details. Did you tell Piper?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago," he said. "I just wanted to tell you before I go."

"Okay," I said. "Have fun on your top-secret quest. Don't die or get banished to Tartarus, okay?"

He paled. "O-okay." He started walking away. 

"Bye!" I called, rolling my eyes. I went back to reading my book, not knowing I'd never see him again.

* * *

"In times like these, we have no words," Nico di Angelo said, looking towards the light blue shroud. "We only have each other. Today we come together to mourn the passing of a beloved hero and friend, Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter and Beryl Grace, and brother to Thalia."

I look around at the crowd. Most of Camp Jupiter is here, and we're all here for the same reason- Jason's death.

"We have no need to mourn," Nico said, though it's clear he was as sad as sad as the rest of us. "I can assure you he's already at peace with his friends and family in Elysium."

I look over next to me, and Thalia squeezes my hand as if to give me reassurance. A tear slips down her face.

I turn my gaze over to Piper, who was supposed to make a speech. She didn't. She choked up the moment she stepped onto the stage.

I hugged her as she sobbed into my shoulder. She did the same for me, so I returned the favor.

Jason was lucky, I suppose. He didn't end up in Hell.

I spot Rachel towards the edge of the crowd, wearing her normal jeans and a black t-shirt, looking out-of-place with the darkly dressed crowd.

I make my way over to her, and she gives me a small smile. "It's my fault, isn't it?"

"What?" I exclaim. "No! What made you think that?"

"I'm the one who gave him the prophecy!" she cries.

"So? It's not your fault. It's no one's fault, except for the monster who killed him," I said, telling her the truth.

"Thank you." She smiled, and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


	13. To Walk Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason POV

One man shall walk alone,

to seek the cured in the unknown.

Fire burns in the island of love,

and one shall be buried by the dove.

Awaken a beast of bronze,

and he shan't fail to correspond.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure where I was going. I knew I needed to go to the "island of love," but I only had some ideas a to what that was supposed to mean.

One thing I knew for sure was that island of love could be referencing to the island on which Venus, or Aphrodite, was born: Cyprus. Of course, Cyprus was in Europe, and it probably moved west with the rest of the gods. 

So what island was it? I took a guess and decided it must be in the Caribbean- I'd heard of gods having children down there. (Cough- Reyna and Hylla- cough.)

So, I was doing what any confused demigod would do in hope they found something to help them: I was wandering through the streets of New York City.

As I turned onto a street in downtown I didn't know the name of, I felt a strange sensation. I followed that strange tugging feeling, and ended up at an... auto repair shop?

It was strange, but I followed my gut and went in.

There was no one there at first glance, but after looking around for a moment, I found two legs, one with a cast-like thing on it, sticking out from the bottom of a 2008 Rabbit.

"Hello?" I asked.

The man rolled out from the bottom of the car, and suddenly I was face to face with a god- Vulcan.

He grinned, somehow making himself look even uglier than before with his yellow and cooked teeth. "Jason Grace, I hear you are looking for my son," he said.

"How did you know?" I was confused. I hadn't told anyone about what I was going on a quest for.

He grunted, and dismissed the question as if I'd never asked it. "I need to tell you before you go any farther that you will not succeed if you just wander the streets the whole time."

I blushed. "I don't know where to go."

"The Caribbean, of course," he said. "Nevis. The island my wife favors most down there."

I stared at the god. "You're helping me." I couldn't believe it.

"No," Vulcan said. "I am telling you what to do. Not helping."

I thought for a moment, remembering when Percy told me of his time in the Labyrinth- Vulcan had given him a robot spider ("It scared the crap out of Annabeth," he had said). I have to accept his help, or something bad could happen. You never know with gods.

"Thank you, Lord Vulcan," I said.

"Yes, yes, you are welcome, now get going before I change my mind and decide not to help you," he said.

I nodded, and walked towards the door.

"And Jason?" I turned around. "Beware of the beast of bronze."

And with that, he was gone in the blink of an eye.

I knew one thing for sure: I was going to need a boat. 

So, as I took a deep breath, I walked off into the streets of New York, determined to complete the only goal on my mind from that moment on: find Leo Valdez.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a filler chapter. You all know what happened to Jason... 
> 
> Let's just say he never found what he was looking for.
> 
> Have fun guessing what the prophecy means. It's pretty easy imo
> 
> Also, if you're wondering what Jason's dream was, it was the same as Percy's. Rachel showed him a painting... I accidentally deleted Jason's POV for last chapter *cough cough*


	14. An Awkward Game Of Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx/Percy platonic fluff
> 
> Percy POV

Nyx felt the need to visit me every week (I think it was a week- time is difficult in Tartarus), whether it was in dream or if she just showed up at the shack. I never told her, but I enjoyed her company. It got lonely.

Sure, every once and a while an _empousa_ or two would show up and talk to me, tell me what's happening up top, but it didn't happen often. At least I knew who lived and who died now- turns out the 7 gained (partial) immortality and Jason died on a quest. 

Where was I? Oh, right. Nyx's visits. Well, today when Nyx came, she brought something I hadn't seen in a long time: a chess set. Yeah, I can play chess. Don't question it. 

"What do you have for me today?" I asked, eyeing the wooden box Nyx held in her hands.

She smiled, setting down the box so I could see it. 

"Chess?" I questioned.

"You seem familiar with it," she said. "Have you ever played before?"

"Yeah, I actually have," I answered, remembering when Annabeth had taught me to play. She told my mom we were going to play chess, and my mom didn't believe her. Imagine her surprise when she came in 10 minutes later to see us playing chess. 

Nyx smiled and set the box down, taking the pieces out. "I suppose you could help set up the board then." I knew it wasn't a question. It was a command, and I obeyed it.

I chose white, and she went with black. No surprise there. 

I took the first move, as white does, and moved a pawn two spaces forwards. "Anything new?" I asked.

She moved a pawn, and answered, "Nothing too important."

I hummed, moving a knight. "One of the _empousa_ visited yesterday."

"Oh?" she asked, moving another pawn, but putting her rook in the open if I could move the pawn in my path. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," I said somberly. I moved my pawn so she could capture it with the one in front of her rook. "My friend Jason passed away on a quest."

"The son of Jupiter?" she asked after taking a moment to move her knight.

I captured her knight with mine. "Yes, it's a shame I didn't get to say goodbye."

She didn't respond, and captured my pawn. 

I smiled, moving my rook all the way to capture hers.

She scowled, making another move with a bishop.

We continued on like that for a while. Making moves, talking about the little things.

Zagreus came and rested his head on my feet. I patted his head and watched closely as Nyx made her next move.

I smiled, and moved my knight. "Checkmate."

Wide-eyed, she stared at the board, taking in every position of every piece. "Best two out of three?" 

I grinned. "You know it."

She won the next round, but I ended up winning in the end. 

Two to one. 

"Rematch," she ended up saying at the end of the third round. 

I had a feeling we would play every week. 

Why?

She left the set on the set on the table.


	15. The Creator Of The Universe Asks Me Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy just be chillin' with the creator of the universe while Annabeth is sad and missing her boyfriend. Hear me out, Percy misses Annabeth. But time passes... differently in Tartarus. In the mortal realm, he's been down here for, say, 3 or 4 months. In his perspective, he's been down here for 4 or so years. I know there's not a lot of context, but this is about 3 years after An Awkward Game of Chess. Hell, when Percy came into Tartarus, it took him days to find the hut, even if it seemed like a few hours. The next Percy chapter will have a pretty big time skip- even Annabeth will have one.
> 
> Percy POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far Nyx hasn't played a huge role in this fic, and you will see more of her in the future of this story. 
> 
> When she was first introduced, Percy described her as having silvery-white hair and sharp features. She was cloaked in shadows and darkness, wearing a cloak made of corpses. Her skin is a dark, navy blue color. Her eyes, on the other hand, have no pupils, and the iris looks like the moon itself with a soft glow and the sclera is pure black. She usually wears a pure black chiton.
> 
> She is feared by Zeus. This is very important to the story. When Percy escapes Tartarus, he uses the power of his patron in order to return to camp. 
> 
> There's a possibility we will be introduced to Nyx's husband, Erebos, and we may see a few of her children, like Thanatos or Nemesis in the future of this story. (I'm not too sure yet. I know I have to bring in some at some point in this story, so I'll have to introduce them at some point.)
> 
> When Percy escapes into the mortal realm, Nyx helps him navigate his way through the world, but only at night, because that's the only time she's allowed out of Tartarus. 
> 
> Don't worry, once a month they'll meet up and play chess together.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: If you skipped the chess chapter, you may want to go back and read it. Chess plays a big part in this story. When I first added it, I did it as a joke, but looking at my notes the word "chess" is mentioned 6 or 7 times.

I was taking a waz when the creator of the Universe first approached me.

Overall, I was having a pretty normal day. I got up, changed my armor, fed Zagreus, trained for a bit, then went to take a dump. 

Yes, demigods- or immortals, in my case- still have to pee. One of my empousa friends, Jas, asked me that once. Apparently some monsters were under the impression that demigods don't pee. Which was weird, because I was under the impression that _monsters_ didn't use the restroom. 

Spoiler: they do. Jas offered to show me, but I politely declined. 

Oh, yeah. What was I talking about? Right. The creator of the universe.

I was casually whistling the Avocado song and peeing when I was approached by a strange woman. She reminded me of Nyx, in a way. But she was much more elegant, and around 15 feet tall- which made me feel very uncomfortable. And feel like a child. I am _not_ a child.

"Perseus Jackson," the woman said. Her voice was quiet and seemed to echo throughout the barren wastelands of Tartarus, though she spoke in my mind, much like the Oracle had done in the woods of Camp Half-blood so many years ago.

She looked around the hut, like she had been seeing it for the first time- though it was clear she had a sort of familiarity to the place. Like she had been here many times before - or, at least, seen it. 

Zagreus growled next to me, like he was ready for a fight. But I knew him too well. I could see how he had stiffened up and was shaking ever-so-slightly. Like he was... Frightened by this woman. Frightened by her power.

I finished peeing and zipped up. "Can I help you?"

"Er." She looked at me, noticing what I had been doing a moment before. "I'll come back later."

I was confused. Who was this woman? Did she usually walk in on people peeing?

"Uh..." 

But she was already gone.

Zagreus lay by my feet, as if nothing had ever happened.

And I... I stood there confused, next to a puddle of my own pee.

Later that day, the same woman came to me.

I was talking to one of the empousai who had first found me- her name was Veronica. She was Jas' older sister and when she was in the mortal realm, she liked to get KFC. Not that you needed to know that. But she was nice and a good friend. She was one of the first to visit me- she introduced me to Jas too. 

I remember when I was a mortal. It's been, what? 4 years now? But it doesn't really matter, does it? When I was a mortal... We thought monsters were creatures without feelings. They didn't like things, they didn't hate things. They just existed to annoy us.

But down here, now that I'm immortal... Everything seems to slow down. I found that all I thought were truths were lies. Monsters lived too. They had thoughts, feelings. They were like me. They were like humans. 

Veronica and I were sitting outside, in the pale, stringy grasses that grew from the soils of Tartarus. I could see the Forest of Curses from a distance, a flock of Stymphalian birds flying overhead. 

Oh, the Forest of Curses. It was often known as the home of the Arai, but it was so much more. Up top lived the bird-like creatures- Stymphalian birds, harpies, and the Phoenix, which I had only caught a glimpse of. On the outer parts lived Hellhounds and the infamous Ampelus, who liked to hunt in the woods. Empousai had spoken on the Neaman lion and the Teumessian fox, who sometimes hunted down smaller creatures or young hellhounds.

I journeyed only once into the forest, and I saw life. Only a glimpse, and I knew things lived there. The cerastes, snake-like creatures, were the first sign of non-plant life I had seen, and creatures of all shapes and sizes stopped to stare at me. I didn't attack them, and they didn't attack me. I was... one with them.

I looked to Veronica once again and took a deep breath of the acidic air I had become somewhat used to. Veronica was beautiful, like all empousa, but she was different. The thing that made her different was the thing that made her easy to be around. Some of the empousa tried to flirt with me- mostly the younger ones.

But Veronica never dared to even look at me that way. Why? She was a lesbian. Which I didn't have a problem with. 

I remember when I asked her why the others flirted with me and why she didn't. 

She had seemed taken aback by the questions. "That's what empousa do. It's our nature. We seduce men, take them in bed, then kill them."

She'd seemed uncomfortable with this. I pointed that out.

"Well, it's what I was raised on, you know? We seduce men and kill them. But... I never felt comfortable seducing men. So, I went after a woman instead. But back then... That was looked down upon. So my first try horribly failed. Most empousa get it right their first time, since it's in our blood... But I was- _am_ \- different."

I decided not to ask how empousai were born. Instead, I told her about Nico. And myself, and discovering I was bisexual.

Wait, what was I talking about again? Ah, yes. It was a peaceful day in Tartarus and I was talking to Veronica outside while sitting on the grass. Her firey hair rolled through the air gently, letting me know she was happy.

"Has Jas told you yet?" she asked me.

"No?" I said, a bit confused. "What hasn't she told me?"

Veronica smiled, clearly proud. "She's going on her first _diadromí!"_

I gasped. "And she didn't tell me? I just saw her the other day!"

"We only found out yesterday," Veronica informed me. "She's leaving in a week-"

Suddenly Veronica froze mid-sentence. 

"Veronica?" I asked, concerned. 

She didn't respond. 

I looked around, and found that everything else was at a standstill too. Zagreus was asleep on the grass a few feet away from where I was sitting, and his chest was rising softly. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Percy Jackson," a familiar voice said in my mind. "I'm sorry about earlier. I hadn't been aware you were... occupied."

I tensed. It was the strange goddess from that morning.

I turned away from Zagreus to see the large woman kneeling on the grass in front of me, making her a bit under a foot taller than me if I were standing up.

I stood up. "Can I help you?"

She smiled. "I have an offer for you."

I studied the woman. She was eerily similar to my patron, Nyx. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

She laughed, a booming laugh that shook the grounds. "Oh, yes. Silly me. You should know me by the name Khaos."

Well, shit. The creator of the universe saw me peeing.

"Oh." I mentally face-palmed, then quickly said the next thing that came to mind, hoping it would make me feel less embarrassed. "Uh, wow."

Had I always been this stupid?

Khaos laughed. "You're speechless. I know the feeling. You're face-to-face with greatness and it's great. It's nice to know mortals never change."

Who knew the creator of the universe would be a Disney fan?

"I created the world you know, and the one you don't," Khaos continued. 

I frowned. "The one I don't?"

"Yes," the goddess responded. "I have an army of the best warriors in the galaxy, and I'd like you to come with me and join."

It kind of felt like I was being asked on a date. "No thank you," I said politely.

She stared at me for a minute before speaking. "When they said you were an idiot, I didn't believe them. How could such a great hero be so stupid as to turn down my generous offer? The great Achilles himself even accepted my offer."

I'd met Achilles once before- well, his spirit, at least. He didn't seem like the type of guy who'd join an army like this. I guessed his lover, Patroclus, went with him. And as much as I doubted it, I didn't dare speak my mind or deny it.

"Yeah." I shrugged. "My friends called me Seaweed Brain for a reason."

She stood up, her towering form making me feel smaller than before. "Goodbye, Perseus Jackson. And remember: though one may call you stupid, I can sense knowledge in your veins. You are smarter than you appear."

And with that, she disappeared.

"Huh?" Veronica blinked in surprise. "What happened? Why are you standing?"

I stared at her for a minute before laughing. Laughing so hard before collapsing to the ground in a fit of laughter.

Because even though I knew it had happened, even though I saw her in front of me...

I couldn't believe it.


End file.
